WSOP Main Event Day 2B Airs on ESPN

In case you missed it earlier this week, action from Day 2B of the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event aired on ESPN. Coverage begins at 9:00pm ET each Tuesday and runs for two hours, with Lon McEachern and Norman Chad on the call.

The feature table on Day 2B housed former WSOP Main Event champ Dan Harrington, who has made four final tables in the $10,000 buy-in tournament during his career, and Jeff Shulman, a member of last year’s November Nine. Out in the field, “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander was knocked out after running pocket jacks into pocket kings. Meanwhile, 2009 November Niner and Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey ran pocket queens into pocket kings in a boat-over-boat situation to drop to less than five big blinds.

Table 2 included Unabomber Poker front man Phil Laak, who received cash payments of $20 and $40 from other players to see his hole cards. Then, next door at the feature table, Shulman doubled up after flopping a set of jacks against a player with top pair. Ivey was then shown the door and, at Prahlad Friedman’s table, the most talked about hand of the 2010 WSOP Main Event so far played out.

Ted Bort, CEO of Allied Network Solutions, was quite literally barking like a dog at the table after betting all-in in a hand against Friedman. He eventually called the clock, saying he’d show Friedman his hand if he folded, and the rapping poker pro waited until the count of one before quietly uttering, “I call.” The dealer also said “He called.” At the same time, Bort tabled J-9 for top two pair and Friedman mucked.

This seems like a pretty straightforward situation, right? Think again. The floor officials ruled that Friedman’s hand was dead because he didn’t call in time. One player at the table, irate with the antics that Friedman had gotten away with by mucking, stood up and yelled, “What the hell is wrong with this floor guy?” Another WSOP official was called and ESPN showed a replay clearly demonstrating that Friedman had called with one second remaining. Nevertheless, his hand was declared dead.

While four – yes, four – Mizrachi brothers remained in the hunt for the WSOP Main Event bracelet, other pros dropped like flies. Darvin Moon, last year’s runner-up, hit the rails after moving all-in with 10-9 on a flop of 4-9-2 for top pair. However, he received a call from an opponent with pocket rockets and a running K-5 sent him to the rail. He told his wife as he headed towards the exit, “At least the pressure’s off, honey.”

As the second one-hour episode began, Chris Ferguson doubled up with pocket queens against pocket fours and PokerStars pro Jason Mercier knocked out “2 Months, $2 Million” star Brian Roberts with pocket jacks against a wired pair of tens. At the feature table in the Amazon Room, Shulman was ousted after running A-K suited into pocket aces.

The most notable bust out of the evening went to DoylesRoom front man Doyle Brunson. The ten-time WSOP bracelet winner re-raised all-in with pocket sevens on a seemingly benign flop of 4-8-3. An opponent with pocket jacks spoiled the party and a running 4-6 ensured that “Texas Dolly” would not see Day 3 in 2010. Brunson received a round of applause from the players in attendance.

Former WSOP Player of the Year Tom Schneider busted after running pocket sevens into pocket aces. The money went in on a flop of 8-4-6 and no five or seven came on the turn or river to save the day. Also falling in the waning moments of the broadcast was Josh Arieh, who made a move pre-flop with 5-4 of spades, but could not draw out on pocket queens.